How and why are we different from other people? Many scientists have addressed the answer to this question and developed various models of personality. All models mainly focus on the differences between people, which lead to the term “differential psychology." Here, you will learn about the principal models of personality, personality disorders as well as behavioral styles, and you will be optimally prepared for exams, the preliminary examination and the medical practice.

00:01
Let’s take a look atdifferent ways of looking at your
personality in terms of social cognition.
00:11
So personality, based in this model is based
on the interaction between three things:your behavior, your cognitive
abilities, and environmental factors.
00:21
So, the behavioral component
includes patternsof behavioral learn through
conditioning, right?So this is -- we’ve seen this before
and I’m sure you’ve read this before.
00:29
That’s really important.
00:30
Then we have observational
or vicarious learning.
00:33
This is when you view another’s
behavior with consequences.
00:36
And this happens a
lot as a child.
00:38
So think of a scenario where you're
either watching your parentsdo something like, I don’t
know, steal a slice of piethat’s been sitting
on the counterand your mother or the dads wife
said, “Do not touch this pie.”And the dad goes in and sneaks and takes
the pie and eats it and what happens?The mother comes
around the corner,sees that a slice is missing and
starts yelling at the father.
01:01
“I told you! What’s
wrong with you?”And starts slapping the
father on a little bit, okay?Now, the child realizes that,
“Okay, the dad was told something,did not follow, and
he was punished.”And that observational learning
is really, really important.
01:15
Okay?There’s the cognitive component where this
includes mental processes involved withobservational learning, the point that we
just mentioned, and self-efficacy beliefs.
01:24
So now, we’re bringing
that thinking component.
01:26
So what did I just learn?What were the consequences?And really using your mind
to piece all that togetherand also layering that on top
of yourself efficacy beliefs.
01:37
And the module that we talked about self-efficacy
is our quick reminder that is how --how do you feel about
your skill set?How efficacious or good are
you doing certain things?So that will help shape -- shape
your personality as well.
01:52
So if you feel that you’re
really good at doing something,you have good belief in
yourself self-efficacy,that’s going to bolster and change
and modify your personality.
02:01
There’s an environmental
component.
02:03
So that can include a situational influences
or opportunities, rewards, punishments.
02:07
So, let’s go back to the scenario of
classical conditioning or operate learning.
02:13
We’re going to talk about
that in just a sec.
02:15
But there are rewards
and punishments.
02:18
So, depending on your environment, if
you are rewarded for good behavior,then you’re going to
continue that behaviorand that will then go on to
shape your personality, right?So you continue to do
really good things,that now part becomes
part of your personality.
02:32
And if you’re continually being punished
because you’re doing things inappropriately,that’s going to also
shape your personality.
02:38
So the environment, the situation
you’re in, the setting that you’re in,the opportunities that are
presented to you, the rewards,and the punishment can all
shape your personality.
02:48
And then another point I
wanted to bring up issomething called “Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy” or CBT.
02:53
And CBT is really unique.
02:55
It’s gotten extremely popular
in that last 15 to 20 yearsbecause it is really great at
identifying your behavior,but then allowing you to
use your mind or yourcognition to help shape or
influence that behavior.
03:11
So patients identify dysfunctional
or irrational thought,and then they can modify their behavior
to help change their thinking.
03:20
So it’s really, really efficacious,
really useful and so many differentthings like addiction and
depression and dealing with stress.
03:28
It’s fantastic.
03:29
Again, what it’s doing
is it’s putting the onuson you to help modify your behavior
based on cognitive abilities.
03:37
So you’re using your mind
to change your behavior.
03:41
Now, let’s take a look at the
biology behind personality.
03:46
So we can’t say that all of
the personality is drivenby all the different theories
we just talked about.
03:51
There needs to be
something more to it.
03:53
And this biological perspective
brings that to the table.
03:56
And say that personality
is at least in part due toinnate biological
differences amongst people.
04:02
So, what we’re saying is that you’re
born with certain personality traits.
04:07
And this tends to be believable
because of this geneticpredisposition or heritability
of basic personality traits.
04:15
And we know that, you know, if
your parents are extremely calmor if they’re really extroverted
or if they’re really introverted.
04:24
There’s a strong likelihood that
you will inherit some of that.
04:27
And so that’s why we’re
saying that’s innate.
04:29
It’s not necessarily 100%
completely acquired throughobservational learning or being
in that cultural environment.
04:36
Some of it might come
simply because it’s innate.
04:40
Okay?So,what you can also do further is
look at actual brain structure.
04:47
So we know that there is a linkage
between some of these basicpersonality traits and certain brain
structures and their function.
04:55
So, Hans Eysenck, he proposed
that the level of extroversionis based on differences
of a specific structure.
05:02
That structure is the reticular
formation in the brain.
05:05
So he used to tease that out.
05:06
He says, “Introverts have a lower threshold,
tolerate less external stimulation.
05:11
So, what does this
threshold refer to?Threshold is an amount, a
line, an imaginary line,certain level of activation that
you need to initiate a response.
05:22
If you have a high threshold, that means
you need a lot of stimulation in order toachieve that threshold and surpass
it and initiate a response.
05:30
If you have a -- if you
have a high threshold,you can take a lot of stimulation
before you initiate a response.
05:38
So introverts have a low threshold, therefore
it’s really easy to stimulate them.
05:43
So, imagine an introvert having a little
threshold being in a quiet place.
05:50
And as soon as it starts getting loud
and a lot of people are talking,they’re trying to interact
socially, they don’t like that.
05:56
It’s too much
stimulation for them.
05:57
You’ve already
initiated a response.
05:59
As opposed to extroverts,
they can take a lot,a lot of stimulation and can be in
a really loud environment becausethey’re less easily aroused, and
you see them being drawn to that.
06:11
Extroverts like to be where
the hustle and bustle is at.
06:14
They like to be at a lot of party,
where introverts like to bein a quiet room reading a book
away from other individuals.
06:19
So, correlations have
been also been found withvolume of brain structures
within the limbic system.
06:24
And if you remember the limbic system
contain the structures like thenucleus accumbens, the ventral tegmental
area, and the prefrontal cortex.
06:32
And these structures typically will have
a certain volume and shape and sizeand there seems to be
differences there.
06:40
So, introvert seems to have --between introverts and
extroverts you see thisdifference in the volume
of the brain structures.
06:48
Jeffrey Alan Gray proposed that
personality is governed by interactionsof three brain systems, and we’ve
seen some of these before.
06:57
The first being the sympathetic nervous system
and that is the fight or flight system.
07:02
And that might mediate
fearfulness and avoidance.
07:05
So, we believe that the interactions
that shape your personalitymight be linked to those behaviors
in that brain structure.
07:14
Behavioral inhibition systems
might mediate worry and anxiety.
07:18
And Behavioral approach systems might
modulate optimism and impulsivity.
07:23
So again, what we’re trying to do
here is link personality traitsand personality and behavior to specific
brain systems and brain structures.

About the Lecture

The lecture Social Cognitive Perspective and Biological Perspective – Personality (PSY) by Tarry Ahuja, MD is from the course Individual Influences on Behavior.

Included Quiz Questions

Which of the following personality component is shaped through observation of others?

Vicarious learning.

Mental component.

Behavior.

Reinforcement.

Operant conditioning.

Bella says that the secret to her scholastic performance is her belief in her ability to do well in tests. Which component of personality is she describing?

Cognitive component.

Observational component.

Behavioral component.

Environmental component.

Genetic component.

Meg sees her parents give their dog a cuddle after he performs a new trick successfully. If applied to humans, which part of someone's personality would be affected?

Environmental component.

Emotional component.

Inherent component.

Learned component.

Conscious component.

A psychologist focuses on having a patient with an anxiety disorder to understand the cause, to work through the triggers, and helps teach behaviors to control the disorder as well as severity of attacks. What type of therapy is being used?

Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cognitive therapy.

Exposure therapy.

Aversion therapy.

Psychoanalysis.

In which of the following is there a difference in the anatomy and physiology of the brain associated with personality?

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